Car end construction



Jan. 2, 1940. i J. w. COLEMAN 2,185.783

CAR END CONSTRUCTION Filed Sept. 1. 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 I NVENTOR BJam a- WL'oleman ATTORNEY Jan. 2, 1940- J. w. COLEMAN CAR ENDCOIXS'IRUC'J'I0N 3 Sheets-Sheet 2' Filed Sept. 1, 1937 INVENTOR fit/leesWfil ATTORNEY Jan. 2, 1940. COLEMAN I 2,185,783

CAR END CONSTRUCTION Filed Sept. 1, 1937 3 Sheets- Sheet 3 INVENTORye/am (Coleman ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 2, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE James gilififiifibifi2i2lim Canada Application September 1,1937,Serial No. 162,027

* In Canada. September 2, 1936 50laims.

This invention relates broadly to improvements in metal frame box carsand relates more particularly to an end construction and the object ofthe invention is to provide a reinforcement for car ends adapted to beincorporated in a car at the time of building the same or to beinstalled in existing cars and adapted to resist the internal pressureresulting from'shifting of load in the car. in Steel frame box cars asat present generally constructed are subject to bulging at the ends andto bursting open at the vertical edges, particularly at or near theroof. At the floor level the ends and sides are adequately supported by)5 being connected to the underframe but in the upper part of the carthere is no equivalent support .as the roof structure is relativelyweak. In consequence, when the load in a car shifts, for example asresult of sudden stopping, great internal pressure is directed againstthe end and frequently bulges the end or even tears it way:

features and combinations of features herein de-' scribed or illustratedin the accompanying drawings together with all such novel modificationsI thereof or equivalents therefor as arewithin the scope of the appendedclaims.

In the accompanying drawings which illus- 40 trate but two of thepossible embodiments of my invention and to the details of which theinvention is not limited:

Fig. 1 is an end elevation of a. metal frame box car illustrating theapplicationthereto of i one embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view onvthe line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the structure-shown in Fig. 1;

50 Fig. 4. is a side elevation of the corner structure of Fig. 1;

Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8 are views respectively similar to Figs. 1,- 2,, 3and 4 and illustrating another embodiment of my invention.-

1 55,. Referring more particularly to the drawings,

H designates the end sill and I2 the center sill of a box car. Cornerand intermediate uprights l3 and It respectively are secured to the endsill and extend upwardly to the end plate It. The corner uprights 13 areangle bars and the inter- 5 mediate uprights are bars of Z or othersuitable flanged section. One flange of each of these members is rivetedto the end sill. The end plate I5 is of any usual constructionincluding, for example; a vertically disposed web .portion 16' 0straight at its lower edgewhere it is provided with an outwardlyturnedflange I1 and atits upper edge sloping downwardly from its medialportion toward its ends and provided with an inwardly turned flange it.The plate is thus a member of 2 section the depth of which diminishesfrom the center toward the ends. The corner uprights extend tosubstantially the upper edge of the end plate and are disposed outwardlythereof. One flange: of each corner upright is riveted to the web iii ofthe end plate, the lower flange of the plate being cut way'as shown inFigs. 3 and 7 to enable direct contact of the upright flanges and theend plate web. The intermediate .uprights'M extend only to the lowerflange n 0125 the end plate and are secured thereto by brackets rivetedto the plate web andto the web or a v flange of each upright l4.Longitudinal side plates [9 of 2 section are provided along the sides ofthe car at approximately the level of the end 3 plates and are arrangedwith their webs vertical,

their upper flanges 20 inturned and their lower flanges 2i outturned.The ends of the side plates-- are located inside the corner uprights,and the Y webs thereof are riveted ito the side flanges ofthe uprights,the lower flanges of the side plates being cut away as shown in Figs. 3and 7 to permit direct contact of the webs and flanges as aforesaid.

The structure thus far described in detail is 40 I i one usual form offrame structure but I wish it to be understood my invention is notlimited'to;

association or combination of the novel structure hereinafter to bedescribed with this or any particular car frame structure as myinvention is? applicable to'other frame structures.

Referring nowparticularly toFigs. lto 4, 22

designates a brace member located inside the'end plate andextendingtransversely of the car from side to side thereof immediately above thelevel v of the side plates [9. This brace member is preferably of angle,section and disposed with one flange 23hori zontal and the other flange24 extending vertically from the inner edge of the V flange 23. Theentire member is inwardly arched, iii

as clearly shown in Fig. 3. The end portions of the horizontal flangeoverlie and are riveted directly to the upper flanges 20 of the sideplates as at 25. A suitably oflset gusset plate 26 underlies the flanges20 and 23 and is riveted to each to strengthen and stiffen the cornerconstruction, the rivets 25 passing through the gusset plates as well asthrough both flanges 29 and 23.

The upper edge of the vertical flange 24 is cut away, as shown in Fig.1, to enable it to enter under the upper flange l8 of the end plate.

At the vertical centre of the car end a special upright 21 is providedextending from the end sill, to which it is secured, to within a shortdistance of the lower flange l! of the end plate. This upright may be ofthe 2 section illustrated or of any other suitable section which willpresent flanges at inner and outer edgesof the web. A bracket plate 28is provided which at its inner end underlies and is riveted to thecentral portion of the transverse brace member 22. This bracket memberextends to the end plate and is then turned downwardly inside the endplate and outwardly under the bottom flange thereof, through the spacebetween the flange and the upper end of the upright 21, the bracketbeing riveted to the web and lower flange of the end plate. The bracketplate then extends downwardly outside the upright and is riveted to theouter flange thereof. If desired, the inner end of the bracket plate maybe turned upwardly inside the transverse brace and in contact with theupright flange thereof, as shown at 29 in Fig. 2. To further stiffen thestructure and support the end plate, a bracket 32 may be riveted to theupper surface of the bracket 28 inside the end plate and riveted to theend plate above the bracket 23.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 5 to 8, the transverse brace member,22 is of the same form and general disposition as in Figs. 1 to 4 butis, because of the shallower end sections of the end plate, arrangedunder the upper flanges 20 of the side plates, as clearly shown in Figs.5 and 8, the vertical flange of the brace member being cut away topermit this. The simple gusset plates of Figs]. to 4 are replaced bybracket plates 3| riveted to the upper flanges 20 of the side plates andoffset as at 32 to pass under the ends of the transverse brace whichareriveted to the brackets. The brackets then extend downwardly and areriveted to the end flanges of the corner uprights below the end plate asshown in Fig. 8.

At the centre of the car the bracket 33 under- I lies and is riveted tothe horizontal flange of the transverse brace member 22 and then extendsdownwardly inside the end plate and inside the centre upright 34 and isriveted to both. This construction of bracket is designed for cases inwhich the upright has no outer flange, such as a member of T section ora length of railroad rail,

' as shown in Figs. 5 to'8. The end plate may be further connected tothe bracket 3| by means of a bracket 30 as previously described.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the structures ofboth of the illustrated embodiments of the invention are in essentialsthe same and that the diflerences are differences of of various designs,and for other purposes, without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

When in use, bracing of the character described greatly strengthens thecar and supports the ends against bulging at the top and tearing awayfrom the roof and sides of the car. The transversebrace and its gussetor bracket connection to the corner uprights hold these againstspreading at the upper ends and tearing away from the end or sidesheathing of the car as result of internal pressure due to a shifting ofthe load. The truss formed by the transverse member 22 and the end plateit supports the upper end of the centre upright which in turn holds theend sheathing against bulging.

While the structure of my invention has been shown at only one end of acar, it will be understood that similar structure is provided at eachend.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In car construction, the combination with a metal outside frameincluding an end sill, corner and intermediate uprights, side plates andan end plate connected to the side plates and to the corner andintermediate uprights; of a transverse member located inside said endplate at approximately the level of the side plates and extending fromside to side of the car frame and arched inwardly from its ends to thecentre; gusset plates secured to the ends of said transverse member andto the side plates and therethrough to the ends of the end plate; acentre upright additional to all other end uprights of the car securedto said end sill and extending upwardly substantially to said endplates; and a bracket secured to the upper portion of said centreupright and to said end plate and extending into the car inwardly ofsaid end plate and secured to said transverse member midway between theends thereof, whereby said end plate and transverse member constitute atruss.

2. In car construction, in combination, an end I sill, corner uprightsof L section secured to said end sill, side plates each including aninturned flange and a vertical web secured to one flange of a cornerupright, an inwardly arched transverse member having a horizontal flangesecured at its ends to the inturned flanges of said side plates, gussetplates secured to said transverse member flange, and to said inturnedside plate flanges, a flanged end plate disposed outwardly of saidtransverse member and extending from side to side of the structure andhaving its web secured at the ends to the remaining flanges of saidcorner uprights, an externally flanged centre upright secured to the endsill and extending upwardly nearly to said end plate, a bracket securedto the outer flange of said centre upright and extending inwardlybetween the top of said centre upright and said end plate and secured tothe centre portions of said transverse member and said end plate. r

3. Car construction according to claim 4 in which the end plate isprovided with an external horizontal flange at its lower edge and thebracket extends upwardly inside said end plate and is secured to thelower flange and to the web thereof.

4. In car construction, in combination, an end sill, corner uprights ofL section secured to said end sill, side plates each including aninturned flange and a vertical web secured to one flange of a cornerupright; an inwardly arched transverse member havmg a horizontal flangesecured at its ends to the inturned flanges of said side plates, gussetplates secured to said transverse member flange and to said inturnedside plate flanges and having downwardly extending legs secured to theremaining flanges of said corner uprights, a flanged end plate disposedoutwardly of said transverse member and extending from side to side ofthe structure and having its web secured at the ends to said remainingflanges of said corner uprights, an internally flanged centre uprightsecured to the end sill and extending upwardly substantially to said endplate, and a bracket secured to the inner flange of said centre uprightand to the web of the endplate and extending inwardly and secured to thecentral portion of said transverse member.

5. An end reinforcement for box cars having outside metal framesincluding end sills, corner and intermediate uprights, side plates andend cated externally of the car end sheathing between the intermediateuprights and to be connested at its lower'end to the centre of the carend sill, and a bracket secured to the central part of said transversemember and adapted to be secured to a car end plate and to the upper endof said flanged member.

JAMES w. COLEMAN.

